Musar untuk Kejadian 15:17

The reason all the מצות are called גזרות, "pieces," or "sections," is that they are like the souls, each one of which is a "section" of the Divine though separated from G–d Himself. Similarly then מצוות are like the egg laid by a hen that is about to be slaughtered for human consumption (compare Beitzah 2A). In other words, the commandments are an integral part of G–d though separated from Him. The word גזר is used in this way in Psalms 136,13: "Who divided the sea into pieces." We have the same meaning in Genesis 15,17, at the "covenant between the pieces, "where G–d (a pillar of fire) is described as passing between הגזרים, the pieces. We learn there what the כריתת הברית, making of the covenant between G–d and Abraham, G–d laying phylacteries, robing Himself in ציצית, studying Torah, etc., is all about. All these activities which our sages attribute to G–d are not merely symbolisms, but reflect the fact that we, our souls, are part of the Divine, and that what we are asked to do in this physical world is basically no different from what G–d does in the spiritual counterpart of our world. It is wrong to attribute the legislation of chasing away the mother-bird to considerations involving the welfare of the bird. What G–d wishes to teach us by means of the מצות, is something for our sake, something that makes it easier for us to operate on His "wavelength." We are to train ourselves to wear "His garments," to adopt His attributes. It is not surprising then that these גזרות are difficult to understand, and the same applies to the restrictive ordinances, גזרות, imposed by Rabbinic law which are designed to prevent our infringing Sinaitic law. We sometimes fail to see the rationale in some of these ordinances.

Our father Abraham lowered himself, so the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him greatness. And that is to the one to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, first said, “Ask.” Rabbi Yonatan said, “There are three to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Ask.’” Rabbi Acha said they are four - Abraham, Solomon, Achaz and the messianic king. Abraham, from where [do we know it]? As it is written (Genesis 15:2), ‘And [he] said, “My Lord God, what will You give me?’” He would not have said, ‘What will You give me,’ unless He had said to him, ‘Ask.’ Solomon, from where [do we know it]? As it is written (I Kings 3:5), ‘In Givon, the Lord appeared to Solomon [... and …] said, “Ask that which I shall give you.”’ Achaz, from where [do we know it]? As it is written (Isaiah 7:10-11), ‘And the Lord spoke further to Achaz, “Request a sign for yourself from the Lord, your God.”’ The messianic king, from where [do we know it]? As it is written (Psalms 2:8), ‘Request of Me, and I will render nations your inheritance, your estate will be the limits of the earth.’” Rabbi Levi said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, showed our father Abraham, peace be upon him, the stars, the constellations and all the corners of the firmament, as it is stated (Genesis 15:5), ‘And He took him outside (chutzah).’ And did He take him outside of the universe? Rather it is that He showed him the chambers of the skies that are called chutzot, as it is stated (Proverbs 8:26), ‘Before He made earth and chutzot.’” Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai said, “Five things did the Holy One, blessed be He, show to our father Abraham, peace be upon him, and these are them: 1) He showed him the splitting of the Red Sea, as it is stated (Genesis 15:17), ‘which passed between these pieces (gezarim).’ And likewise does it state (Psalms 136:13), ‘To slice the Red Sea into pieces (gezarim).’ 2) He showed him the giving of the Torah, as it is stated, ‘and behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch.’ And likewise is it with the giving of the Torah (Exodus 20:14), ‘And the entire people saw the torches and the sound of the shofar. 3) He showed him the Temple built and [4)] the order of the sacrifices, as it is stated, (Genesis 15:9), ‘He said to him, ‘Take for Me a calf of three.’ [5)] And He showed him the four empires (destined to subjugate Israel), as it is stated, (Genesis 15:12) ‘and behold, a dread of deep darkness fell upon him.’ Those were the four empires.” Rabbi Channan said, “He showed him the revival of the dead, as it is stated (Genesis 15:10), ‘Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses.’ He took the limbs and placed them side by side. And once the bird descended upon them, they came to life, as it is stated, ‘but Abram repelled (vayashev) them.’ And vayashev is always that they are scattered by the wind (which is only possible here if they returned to life), as it is stated (Isaiah 40:7), ‘when the breath [of the Lord] blows (nashvah) upon it.’”